


Can You Hear Me?

by Michael_In_The_Void



Category: Welcome to Desert Bluffs - Fandom, Welcome to Night Vale, wtnv
Genre: Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rare Pairings, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-10-11 22:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17455295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michael_In_The_Void/pseuds/Michael_In_The_Void
Summary: Kevin has been haunted by nightmares for weeks. Not only that, but feelings for his producer, Daniel, have started to surface. As his days grow more stressful he realizes the connection between the two, and maybe that they’re not nightmares at all.





	1. Night Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is part one to what I hope ends up being a decent-length fic. This is my first time posting any of my writing so constructive criticism is welcome!

_“Danny?”_

__

_“Danny, please-“_

_“Can you hear me? Please answer me.”_

_“This can’t be happening, it can’t-“_

_“Daniel- Daniel, you have to be okay- You can’t do this, not now-“_

 

Kevin gasped for air as he bolted upright, he could feel his heart banging away in his chest, or what he hoped was his heart. The nightmares had been haunting him for weeks. Before this he had the same routine every night; he would lay down and think of wonderful things as he fell asleep, things like the amazing smiles of his friends and coworkers, dozens of rows of teeth among them, sometimes unnaturally sharp teeth, sometimes no teeth at all, which left a bloody gum filled image in his mind.

 

These were perfect images to fall asleep to, or so he was told. Soon he would drift off into a dreamless sleep and awake to the sun shining painfully into his eyes, he would feel refreshed and ready for another productive day at the radio station. His day would slip by, as every work day should, and the only things that would occupy his mind would be the happy, fulfilled thoughts of a day well spent.

 

Recently however, his void filled sleep had been interrupted by nightmares, awful dreams that he could never quite remember when he fully woke up; but in the few moments after waking from them, he felt nothing but terror and a horrible sinking anguish. They felt so real, more real than some things in his waking life, but Kevin never dwelled on them for long; after all, why dwell on something as unproductive as dreams?

 

It wasn’t long until he decided to get up and start his day, it was nearly time for him to start doing so anyway. His morning seemed to flash by him, from showering to getting dressed to even a small breakfast he had managed to cook for himself, all the way until he arrived at the radio station. He thought about his dreams and what they meant.

 

He thought about his own voice in the dream, how he was seemingly pleading and begging for someone to hold on.

 

He thought about the bloody mess, full of sorrow and viscera, that flashed before his eyes.

 

He thought about Danny.

 

About Daniel.

 

He thought about many things that morning.

 

———————————————————

 

Kevin entered the radio station as usual, giving everyone he passed a bright and warm smile as the even brighter sun let its rays shine through the windows.

 

He was welcomed by his interns first and foremost, bombarding him with the usual early morning questions.

 

“Would you like some coffee?” One would question him, knowing full well that he despised the bitter taste.

 

“Traffic was awful, wasn’t it?” Another would ask, trying to make small talk with the smiling radio host.

 

“When will the stars come back? They’ve been gone for so long, Kevin. Why did they leave? Why is this happening?” The last would plead with him, desperately wanting a reply.

 

Kevin would never answer, he couldn’t answer, he wasn’t allowed to.

 

And they couldn’t be allowed to ask such questions, it was against company policy.

 

Kevin thought back to one of the old Strex slogans, “Strexcorp Synergists Inc; Question Nothing!”

 

That intern was very helpful that day however. After all, Kevin had started to feel that the soundboard was much too dry. The only downside was that his sweater vest had gotten stained with thick crimson liquid in the process.

 

Kevin didn’t dwell on it for long.

 

He didn’t dwell on anything for long anymore.

 

He made his way to his recording studio, sighing as he sat down and leaned forward onto his desk with his elbows. He pressed his face into his hands and for once in a very long time, Kevin let his smile falter.

 

His mind drifted to the nightmares, the more he thought about them the clearer they started to become.

 

“Kevin?” The voice came from behind him, snapping him out of the trancelike state he had fallen into.

 

Kevin spun around in his chair and looked up to see his station producer, Daniel.

 

Relief washed over him, the last thing he would have wanted is for some intern to walk in on him like this, or worse, for Lauren to walk in on him.

 

Daniel, unlike the previously mentioned, was trustworthy, kind, and a wonderful friend.

 

Maybe more than a friend, Kevin thought.

 

Maybe one day.

 

In his opinion, Daniel was the most beautiful person in Desert Bluffs. There was something about him that drew Kevin in; perhaps it was his perfectly styled mahogany hair, or his well built figure. Maybe it was his eyes that were the color of the desert sands, which could quite literally light up a room. It didn’t matter to Kevin what it was, all that mattered was that Daniel was seemingly perfect.

 

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

 

Kevin blinked and tore his eyes away from the biobot, “Oh- Hello, Daniel.”

 

“Yes, ‘Hello’” The biobot replied, turning Kevin’s chair back around to his desk.

 

“We can chat after work, you need to start the broadcast”, His voice softened slightly, “The show is already a few minutes behind, and I’d rather not report you to station management.”

 

“Right- Thank you!” Kevin smiled and put on his headphones, hopefully once he got on air his mind would clear of the nightmares, and the lingering thoughts of the man walking out behind him.

 

Daniel flipped the switch from the production booth and the On Air sign lit up, filling the room with its glow.

 

Kevin pulled his mic close.

 

“Good afternoon, Desert Bluffs!”

 

_____________________________________________

 

 

 


	2. Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin continues to battle his nightmares, and while doing so uncovers exactly why they won’t stop. When the truth is uncovered, it soon sets him on edge, he knows his life could be put in jeopardy at any moment. Worse still, he has no idea if Daniel is at risk either. Worry is flooding his mind, but everything stops when an unwelcomed guest finds her way into the radio station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Chapter 2 is finally here! As usual feedback is always welcome and encouraged! I hope you all enjoy the fic! ]

  Kevin opened his eyes and slowly looked over the place around him. His memory felt hazy and he couldn’t quite place where he was. The room was small and compact, he felt the walls around him even when just facing the door. Fluorescent lights flickered above him as he turned to the opposite wall; only to find a window that let him see into a darker, wider area.

  More and more felt off; his body felt heavy, as if he’d just outrun something that should have been much faster than him, the scent of iron and coffee grounds filled the air around him. Things were very wrong, but familiar at the same time, and on top of this his responses felt slow and dull. Kevin took in all that he could, desperately trying to remember where he was; before finally recognizing the room around him.

  It was the production booth of the radio station, however it looked different. There was no copper smelling liquid or viscera splattered on the wall. Had someone cleaned up the station? No, the soundboards looked too new for that, not to mention there was a mug of coffee on the table next to the heavy equipment, still radiating heat as if it was just brewed. The building was obviously occupied. Most jarringly though; there wasn’t a StrexCorp symbol in sight.

  Not a single poster, logo, or even discarded Workplace Behavioral Guide pamphlet from Strex in sight.

  He looked towards the window that divided the broadcast area and the production booth and glimpsed a faint bit of movement in the dim light. Kevin moved closer and peered through it.

  The sight sent a bolt of fear through him.

  It was Daniel, lying on the floor unconscious. However something wasn’t right.

  No, none of this was right.

  Where were the wires? Where was the vaguely human-like flesh?, Kevin thought.

  It didn’t matter, he decided, Daniel was hurt and he needed to help.

  “Daniel? Daniel, are you okay!?”, part of Kevin knew that the other man couldn’t hear him, the glass was too thick; but he continued to try.

 He looked around to find another way in, but there was no door to the broadcast area, only a smooth wall that blocked his way.

“Daniel!”

His voice felt scratchy and strained, as if he’d been screaming for hours on end. Kevin reached up and felt his throat, freezing when he felt the absence of the behavioral control collar that usually sat around his neck.

The collars were specially designed to be worn indefinitely, if you were to try to pull one off you’d receive a warning shock.

And if you continued,

Well, there’s a reason why the population of Desert Bluffs had such a steady decrease in the months when Strexcorp had first taken over.

Kevin decided this couldn’t be real.

There was no way it could be.

However the blood coming from Daniel’s head was real. The gouges in his chest and arms were real. Every scent, sight, and sound in front of him were undoubtedly real.

And they were very, very human.

“Daniel! Answer me!” Kevin tried to shout through the glass.

“DANIEL!”

He hit the window dividing him from his dear friend and his senses came rushing back to him, he suddenly heard the screams and pounding at the production booth door. Interns that were pleading with him to let them in. Kevin recognized a voice among them, Vanessa, he thought.

Vanessa...

Hadn’t she died?

How long had it been since he had heard her voice?

How long had it been since he had thought about her death?

Why couldn’t he remember it clearly? Why couldn’t he remember anything before Strexcorp came to town?

_Strexcorp._

_Vanessa._

_Danny._

_His town, his friends, his family._

It slowly began coming back to him.

The questions swarmed his mind, none of this made sense.

Memories slowly began coming back to Kevin, both good and bad. Memories of his life before Strex. Memories of the takeover.

Some were of him and Daniel, they ranged from simple glances and smiles from the production booth to him and Daniel sitting under the night sky, holding each other close.

Kevin remembered the first night they had dinner together; they had worked a long shift at the radio station due to the town needing last minute news coverage of the mysterious pit that had swallowed up the Desert Bluffs Community Center. He was always happy to oblige, after all it was his job, and no one else would be covering the disaster that would soon ensure from the creatures that crawled out of it. Daniel had offered to treat him to dinner afterwards, and they both hit it off.

Kevin didn’t understand how he could’ve forgotten something as important as that.

Many were of his friends, Vanessa stuck out as someone who was very close to him.

Kevin remembered the many times when they would go out, usually for dinner or to see one of the shows that would be performed at the Sunrise Theatre Hall. Vanessa would laugh and sing to the musicals, even though he was sure that she had never listened to them before. He would laugh with her, but otherwise quietly enjoy the show. Kevin was never bothered by how loud Vanessa got, he knew that she was enjoying herself and that was all that mattered to him.

He wished that he could do laugh with her like that again.

Some were of Strex forcefully re-educating him when he had regained his memories previously. Horrible, awful scenes flashed through his mind. He heard his own screaming in each memory, it felt distant and vague; as if it wasn’t real at all.

_How many times had this happened?_

_How many times had he remembered?_

He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he wanted to do anything.

Kevin suddenly broke from his shock induced trance and slammed his fists against the glass. Over and over he pounded at it and he screamed, sending cracks through the thick clear barrier. Grief and sorrow washed over him, for reasons he didn’t fully understand yet.

He didn’t want to understand.

The glass in front of him shattered.

Suddenly Kevin was in his own bed again, opening his eyes and jolting upright. He felt confused and frightened. He felt unhappy.

He reached up to his neck and grazed his fingertips against his collar, feeling the cold metal against his skin.

How could he have forgotten?

Kevin buried his face in his hands, shaking violently as he tried to tether back the torrent of emotions within him;

It was no use, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

His wails broke out of his lungs like a heavy dam succumbing to the water behind it, letting out loud sobs. He wanted to stop, but he couldn’t. His whole body was finally feeling the grief he had forgotten for so long.

And for the first time since Strex had taken over,

Kevin could feel.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Life doesn’t stop because you’re hurt.

It doesn’t stop if you’re bleeding, traumatized, or stuck in an eternal loop of your own personal purgatory. Life won’t stop unless your heart stops beating.

Sometimes, life doesn’t stop even then.

Kevin had learned this the hard way; it didn’t matter how many nightmares he had, or how many things he remembered about his life before Strexcorp cruelly stripped him of everything he had.

Life went on,

And so did he.

He did his best to stay focused and productive. Every morning he would desperately try to stick to his routine; smiling, getting ready, smiling, making breakfast, praying, smiling, and working.

Despite his best efforts however, the nightmares- or rather memories- were taking their toll. He had no energy anymore, his smile had become forced, his desk was dismally dry, but the worst of it was,

He had started drinking coffee.

Kevin hated the bitter warmth of the drink that sat on his desk. He loathed every aspect of it, from its disgusting taste to how it was always either too hot or too cold. Kevin stared at his mug that was filled with the revolting drink and picked it up, forcing down whatever he could of it.

He hated coffee.

However, he had to do whatever he could to stay productive.

He had to do whatever he could to stay awake.

Kevin heard the door open behind him. He put his mug back down and spun around in his chair towards the doorway, smiling wide with hope that maybe it was Daniel.

He hoped he could confide in his friend about what was happening and find some comfort in knowing that maybe, just maybe he wasn’t alone. Even if Daniel wasn’t experiencing the same thing, Kevin knew that he would be there to help him through it.

“Good morning!-“ Kevin had started to say, but his temper quickly went sour at the sight of the woman standing in the doorframe.

“Good morning, Kevin”

A woman stood barely in the light of the room, even then it was obvious who she was only from her voice.

It was none other than Lauren.

Lauren Mallard, Vice President of Strexcorp Synergists Inc.

What was she doing here? Didn’t she have better things to worry about? She was the Vice President after all, meaning something of the upmost importance had happened.

“Well- I’ll get right to it” Lauren said, breaking Kevin away from his thoughts.

She walked into the room, and glanced around. Lauren was a short, plump woman who wore pearls and slender black skirts. Her heels clicked against the ground as she moved, looking closely you could see fresh red splatters across them. Normally one might mistake her for an intern, or maybe a secretary, but here it was impossible not to know who she was.

She was a terrifying presence to have in the radio station.

“I’m here to inspect the station” Lauren continued, “Normally I would send someone else for it, however I received some...interesting information.”

“Oh?”, Kevin gripped the edge of his desk, he was tense. However, he continued to smile. “What kind of information?”

Lauren focused on him, showing a wide contemptuous smile, “Nothing that you need to be concerned about.”

“Just keep working hard and everything will be fine.”

Kevin turned back to his desk, trying to avoid meeting Lauren’s gaze, “Well I look forward to working with you, Lauren!”

“I hope we can get along here in this little radio station.” He looked at his abandoned cup of coffee, it was probably cold now.

“Don’t worry, Kevin.” Lauren walked over to his desk and sat down a stack of papers. They appeared to be various guides and flyers sent out by Strex. “Think of it as a helpful hand; a hand that’s wrapped firmly around your shoulder, making sure you don’t move an inch out of line.”

Kevin froze in place.

He now understood why she was here.

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” He shakily replied.

“Good.” Lauren turned to the door, “Let’s try to reach our full productive potential, Kevin.”

Lauren sneered, not bothering to hide it in her voice, “Remember, you have other people to look out for.”

He felt a chill run down his spine as Lauren’s heels clicked against ground on her way out of the room, ending her exit with a loud shut of the door behind her.

Kevin stood up and grabbed his frigid drink. He needed to talk to Daniel soon, but it had to be somewhere private. The radio station wasn’t safe anymore, now that Lauren was lurking about it. Not to mention she must of had an inside source, meaning anyone could be a direct line back to her.

He quickly settled on what he would do; later after the broadcast ended, he would meet Daniel outside the production booth as usual, they would speak for awhile and when the opportunity arose,

Kevin would ask him out to dinner.


	3. Break the Chain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin can’t seem to escape Lauren’s presence. But after awhile, he finds a way, and not only that; he finally makes some progress with Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Thank you all so much for your support and feedback!! I hope you enjoy chapter 3! As always, feedback is very much welcomed!!)

Kevin stood anxiously outside the production booth, tense from the events that had transpired a few days before. Many things had happened, but the appearance of the Vice President Lauren Mallard was the one that continued to take up the most space in his thoughts. It was consuming him, even during his broadcast.

 

He thought about what Lauren wanted, what her goal was, what she might be trying to do. He thought about what Lauren had said to him.

 

He thought about what Lauren had threatened him with.

 

Ever since her sudden chilling appearance in the station he had been on his guard. There was no way Kevin could trust anything or anyone. Well, almost anyone, he thought. Daniel was still an option, however “Ms. Mallard” had been with him at every turn. Kevin would try to talk to him after the broadcast and she would be there; he would try on their break, in the morning, on the way out at the end of the day, no matter what he couldn’t seem to escape her presence.

 

What bothered him more was Daniel’s temperament during the situation, he seemed to almost be enjoying it. He knew that Daniel was a welcoming manager to new workers at the station, and that by all means he should be just as welcoming to someone with Lauren’s status, if not more. However it made something twist in his gut, he hated seeing Daniel be so friendly with someone as awful as Lauren.

 

Of course, this was just on a matter of principal, he wasn’t jealous.

 

He wasn’t jealous at all.

 

That was a lie, but only partially. Kevin was jealous, but only in the way that Lauren had been monopolizing Daniel’s time. He knew that she was doing this on purpose, she wanted to toy with him; like a cat playing with an insect before it devours the bug in it’s powerful jaws. This probably wasn’t her only angle either, she was making sure that there was no way to tell Daniel about what had been happening, making Kevin miserable was just an added bonus.

 

The door to the production booth opened and Kevin jolted upright from his thoughts, looking up at the man in front of him.

 

“Kevin?”, Daniel raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing here this late? Are you working overtime again?”

 

“No- No, I’m just here to talk to you!”, Kevin stood up straight, showing off his usual friendly smile.

 

“I actually wanted to ask you something”

 

“Well ask away, I don’t want to keep you here for too long”, Daniel walked out and began to file some documents away in the cabinets along the wall. They were most likely the records of everyone’s words andactions during the day. This was just proper business management protocol; after all, you can’t make yourself more efficient without having a company know and analyze your every move.

 

Kevin smiled wider, trying to hide his anxiousness, “Would you maybe...like to join me for dinner? I can make a surprisingly good risotto, the only trouble is taking the anti-venom soon enough after eating so I don’t pass out!”

 

Daniel shut the cabinet, letting his hand rest on the handle. He contemplated the offer for a few moments, before turning to Kevin.

 

“Well...I suppose I have some time after work tomorrow to join you. However, can I suggest a local restaurant instead? Perhaps the new one on the corner?”

 

Kevin clasped his hands together with excitement, “Oh, You mean Abacus! I’ve heard good things about them, like their rare meats occasionally whisper secrets about the long dead animal they came from.”

 

Daniel chuckled, “Well I’m glad you’re excited.”

 

He focused his eyes on Kevin, looking down on him with gentle glowing eyes.

 

Kevin found himself becoming gradually more flustered at the sight of his manager, every feature of him was suddenly showing themselves off in the dim light of the office. His eyes were like the desert sun at the end of the day; radiating light and a sense of ease. Daniel’s face was also particularly angular, but Kevin liked this about him. Often times he wanted to reach up and trace the hard lines of his jaw with his fingers. Daniel, he thought, was the most perfect man in Desert Bluffs

 

He was the most perfect man in his life.

 

“So”, Daniel finally spoke, breaking Kevin from his trance, “It’s a date?”

 

Kevin blinked and sputtered, blush rising up into his cheeks, “Y-Yeah! Definitely!”

 

“Perfect”, Daniel smiled. Kevin could have sworn that he saw pink dusting the center of his cheeks.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow then”, Daniel gently reached over and grasped the Kevin’s hand, “I look forward to our...’date’.”

 

Kevin felt like he was about to combust. His heart was beating ruthlessly against the inside of his chest; as if it was desperately trying to get out of its cell made of bone and flesh.

 

He looked up at Daniel, his cheeks felt warm, “I-I do too. Very much so.”

 

Daniel let go of Kevin’s hand, “Have a good night, Kevin.”

 

The biobot turned and made his way out of the station, leaving Kevin to mull over what had just happened.

 

However this time, he had an unusual spark in his step,

 

And a wide, genuine smile spread across his face.

 

  * ————————————————— •



 

On the way home Kevin couldn’t think about anything but his upcoming date. It was even worse when he attempted to sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about it, even when he was trying to distract himself; sleeping, cooking, or participating in his daily blood letting ritual. The though and excitement wouldn’t leave his mind. This was much better than Lauren haunting his every thought though.

 

Yes, he much preferred thinking about Daniel.

 

That morning he woke up happy and well rested for the first time in ages. No nightmares had come to him in his sleep for a couple of days now, but he still hadn’t been able to get through the night without waking up.

He hoped that coming clean to Daniel would ease his mind.

 

He hoped that he could leave it all behind himself soon.

 

Work that day was a breeze, his pleasant mood had made all the paperwork, disemboweling, and radio broadcasting fly by. His interns seemed particularly happy that he was feeling better, but that was what interns were for; extra bodies and extra smiles.

 

Lauren however seemed unhappy with his sudden attitude change. Each time Kevin saw Lauren, her smile would become threatening and sharp. She would glare at him from across the room or from behind storage closet doors, but even this couldn’t ruin his day. No matter how much she snarled and dumped extra paperwork on him, he pushed forward with a soft smile and a flutter in his chest.

 

“Kevin, do you have a minute?”, The familiar cold voice came from behind him.

 

Kevin turned away from the cabinet, quickly finishing up filing the reports for the day and shutting it, “Oh! Lauren, how are you?”

 

“Just fine. Perfectly fine, actually”, For once she wasn’t smiling, this sent chills up Kevin’s spine.

 

Lauren always smiled.

 

Lauren continued, “I just wanted to...congratulate you on your progress with Daniel.”

 

“Oh?” Kevin raised his eyebrows, both in confusion and surprise, “Well that’s so nice of you, Lauren!-“

 

Lauren leaned in uncomfortably close, her malicious smile returning to her expression, “However-“

 

“I wouldn’t advise getting too comfortable yet”

 

“W-What?” Kevin pressed his back against the cabinets. She was so close that he could feel the warmth coming off of her.

 

For some reason, he had always expected her to be as cold as her gaze.

 

“I still have my eyes on you, Kevin.” Lauren’s blood red eyes stared at him, freezing him in his place.

 

“You might be able to get away with breaking company protocol since you’re the voice of our little town, but Daniel...” Her razor-like grin widened as she grabbed Kevin by his shirt collar, “He doesn’t get the same ‘privileges’ as you do.”

 

Lauren pulled him down to her level, whispering softly into his ear, “You have no idea what you might lose if you continue with this.”

 

“You have no idea what we might take from you again.”

 

She let go and straightened her posture, the terror inducing grin being quickly replaced with her faux pleasant smile.

 

Kevin was speechless.

 

“Good luck on your date, Kev.” And with a brisk turn and clack of her heels against the hard radio station floor, she left.

 

  * ————————————————— •



 

The radio host in the corner of the quiet restaurant, patiently waiting for his date to arrive as he stared out the window beside him. Daniel was extremely late, to the point that Kevin had already ordered and eaten without him. Normally he would try to wait it out, but it had already been an hour and frankly, he was starving since he hadn’t eaten much during the day.

 

He had no idea where Daniel was, which worried him, especially with what Lauren had said earlier.

 

Or rather, what Lauren had warned him of earlier, he thought.

 

Kevin furrowed his brows and tried to purge the thoughts from his mind. He was sure that Daniel was fine. He probably just got caught up in traffic, or temporarily abducted by the mysterious flickering lights that liked to follow the citizens of Desert Bluffs.

 

“Kevin!”

 

He looked up from his unfocused gaze, instantly perking up when he saw who the voice was coming from.

 

“Daniel! Oh thank the Smiling God- I thought you had forgotten about this.” Kevin’s worries instantly left him, along with the lingering thoughts of Lauren.

 

“Of course not,” Daniel pulled out the chair adjacent from Kevin and sat down at the table “I couldn’t ever forget something like this. Literally, I am incapable of forgetting unless a malfunction in my program occurs.”

 

Kevin chuckled, “I know, but still-“

 

His smile softened, “I’m really glad you showed up.”

 

Daniel returned the smile, leaning forward on the table, “I’m going to guess that you’ve already eaten.”

 

“I did- Sorry about that,” Kevin replied.

 

“There’s no need to apologize, Kevin. I can’t exactly eat anyway,” Daniel laughed slightly.

 

Kevin studied the man in front of him, noticing how different he looked outside of work.

 

Daniel looked more at ease, like a weight had been lifted off of him. Kevin wondered if it was because of the date or if this was just how he was outside of the station.

 

He hoped that this was the right time to ask Daniel about what had happened.

 

“Hey, Daniel?”

 

“Hm?” The biobot responded.

 

“I know this probably isn’t something I should ask at the dinner table, much less on a date, but...” Kevin’s smile faltered,

 

“Do you remember anything about this town before Strexcorp arrived?”

 

Daniel tensed slightly, his smile disappearing from across his cheeks.

 

“...You should know I’m not allowed to answer that question.”

 

“I-I know, but-“ Kevin began, “Please, this isn’t work or anything like that. I-...I need to know.”

 

He continued, his voice starting to shake “I need to know if you remember, because I do.”

 

A tense silence fell between them. It felt thick and uncomfortable. It was like being surrounded by pressurized air and drowning all at the same time.

 

Daniel was the first to speak up. He took a deep breath before he spoke, “Yes, I-...I remember.”

 

“I remember everything.”

 

Kevin looked up at him, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

 

He never expected Daniel to know.

 

He never expected this.

 

“Danny-“ He started.

 

“It’s okay- It’s alright, Kevin.” Daniel reached over and grasped his hand. His eyes shone softly in the ambient lighting of the restaurant.

 

“I’ve known for a very long time.”

 

A few tears ran down Kevin’s cheeks as he quickly tried to wipe them away with his other hand, “How long has it been?”

 

“How long have you known?”

 

Daniel sighed, looking up tenderly at the distressed radio host.

 

“...Why don’t we head back to my apartment and we can talk about it, okay?”

 

“...Okay...” Kevin replied.

 

He didn’t know how to feel. A whirling wind of emotions was raging on inside of him. It didn’t matter though, because he did know one thing,

 

It was him;

 

It was his Danny.


	4. How Long Have You Known?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin and Daniel make their way back to Daniel’s apartment to discuss the recent revelations from earlier that night. However things get a little off course, ending up in a situation that neither of them expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Thank you all for having patience with me while I was on hiatus! I know this chapter is short but I’m working on Chapter 5 right now! Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!)

The pair made it back to Daniel’s apartment. Kevin was still reeling from the revelation that had happened at the restaurant. In all honesty, he hadn’t expected Daniel to actually remember. At most he thought that Daniel would be skeptical at what Kevin had told him, but ultimately end up comforting the radio host in the end. However, that didn’t happen; Daniel had believed him beyond even a shred of a doubt, and happened to remember everything just like him.

 

Daniel suddenly opened the door for him, snapping him out of his thoughts and throwing him back into his surroundings.

 

“I hope you don’t mind the clutter, I wasn’t exactly expecting company”, Daniel nudged aside a few boxes resting by the door, embarrassed by the lack of organization.

 

“Oh- It’s fine! I don’t really mind”, Kevin walked in and swept his eyes over the apartment.

 

It was a small, cute place in Kevin’s opinion. Everything was orderly, at least more orderly than what he was used to, and covered with floral themed decor. The wallpaper had barely visible daisies mixed in to the patterning and fake flowers sat almost forgotten in vases, collecting a thin layer of dust; it was cozy but still sleek. Though he noticed a distinct lack of blood and gore splattered about the apartment walls, which he had come to expect as a staple in decor within his little town.

 

He found the home comforting without it.

 

Daniel closed the door behind himself and made his way over to the couch. He sat down and gently pat the seat next to him.

 

“Come on, I know it’s been a rough night.” 

 

When Daniel spoke there was a certain kindness there that Kevin wasn’t used to. It wasn’t to achieve some end goal, there was no malice, or hatred; it was genuine love and kindness.

 

Love that Kevin hoped was meant towards him.

 

He hesitantly walked over to the couch and sat next to the biobot. 

 

“...I started to remember around three months ago.” Daniel began, “I started to ‘glitch’ more often, thankfully I was out of the station when it happened but it was-...it was terrifying.”

 

Kevin stayed silent, reaching his hand over and gently grasping Daniel’s hand to comfort him, just as Daniel had comforted him earlier.

 

He continued, “During the glitches, I’d see random images of Desert Bluffs; but it was different. Things looked happier- it felt happier.”

 

Tears began to run down Daniel’s cheeks, “After awhile the images turned into entire memories. When I realized what they were, I was outraged. I couldn’t believe what Strex had taken away from this town, what they had taken away from me-“

 

Kevin couldn’t take it anymore, the sight of Daniel crying was too much.

 

He pulled Daniel into a tight hug, holding him as close as he could.

 

“...” Daniel slowly began to relax as he wrapped his arms around the radio host.

 

“I’ve missed you so much-“

 

Kevin looked up at him and gently wiped away the tears on his face, “I’ve missed you too.”

 

Daniel sighed, burying his face in Kevin’s shoulder, “What are we going to do, Kev?...”

 

“I can’t stand working for Strex, not after finding out what they did to everyone in this town.”

 

He pulled away and thought for a moment, “I don’t want to work for them, but I don’t think I have a choice...I just want things to be better.”

 

“Then-...Then why don’t we try to make things better for each other,” Kevin suggested.

 

Daniel looked down at Kevin, “What do you mean?”

 

“Well our relationship is hardly just professional anymore- Or platonic really...” Kevin laughed nervously, “I just figured that we could at least try it-“

 

“...” Daniel laughed slightly, “If you’re asking me to be your boyfriend, then the answer is yes.”

 

“Really??” Kevin was a bit shocked, but not as much as he had been earlier. He never would have imagined that it would be this easy to confess to Daniel.

 

“Of course, you know I wouldn’t joke about this sort of thing.”

 

“Oh my stars- Thank you so much, Danny-“ Kevin pulled him over into a tight hug, squeezing Daniel as tightly as he could.

 

“You don’t need to thank me-“ Daniel chuckled.

 

“Also...I know this is off topic, but it’s getting a bit late-“ Daniel started to say, “...I suppose I’m trying to ask if you’d like to stay over here tonight. I don’t really trust the roads at night, with their flickering faceless forms and all of that.”

 

Kevin smiled, “I’d love to, Danny.”


End file.
